Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird….it’s a plane….it’s Krrish! Though Hrithik Roshan delivers a powerhouse performance, the derivative screenplay takes the “super” out of this “man”. Unfortunately, you will have to go to the THUMS Down section to read more.

Thums Up - Recent Films Worth Watching :-)

Grand Masti

Naughty naughty Mr. Indra Kumar! Just when you think it’s safe to go to the cinema, out comes a movie like “Grand Masti” which blasts the viewer with vulgarity, crassness, and pure juvenile humor and you know what? It works! The film has no socially redeemable quality whatsoever, but like popcorn with caramel and extra sugar on top, I ate it all up and enjoyed myself tremendously. Now, I’m a fan of the original “Masti” which I thought was quite fun in a deviant sort of way, but this one takes the deviant cake. Directed by Indra Kumar (the man who used to direct more traditional romantic films like “Dil”), he takes the phrase “mujhe neend na aye…” to a whole different and more sexual level. The film has the stereotypical base plotline of husbands unhappily married who are extremely sexually frustrated, and that frustration comes out in juvenile behavior. That’s it! That’s all you need to know. Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, and Ritesh Deshmukh share a great chemistry, and that’s what carries the film on lingerie clad shoulders. The music by long lost Anand Raj Anand and Sanjeev Darshan is totally “yawn”. Whatever happened to Indra Kumar’s movies having great soundtracks? Let’s face it, you really just want to see these guys get into crazy situations and enjoy the eye candy that Sonalee Kulkarni, Manjari Fadnis, Karishma Tanna, Maryam Zakaria, Bruna Abdullah, and Kainaat Arora provide. So, take a deep breath, do some yoga (preferably with a partner), and enjoy the incorrigible masti of “Grand Masti”.

Shah Rukh Khan got a face lift. There, I said it. Now you can lambast me all you want, but darned if he doesn’t look ten years younger in most of the scenes of the Rohit Shetty (and company) directed “Chennai Express”. In fact there is one scene where he makes hand gestures towards his face alluding to the fact that he’s gotten a face lift. In any case, SRK is his usual “K-K-K-Krazy” self in this film that really defies all sense of logic and throws it out the window. It’s a fun movie, which really showcases the star of the film, Deepika Padukone. What!?!? You are probably thinking, “Come on yaar, how dare you not say SRK is the dishum dishum star!?!?” Well, SRK is indubitably a star, but to me Deepika Padukone is the one “y-only” reason to watch this movie. She is in short incredible in every scene and any lesser actor would have thrown the movie into a tailspin. Shah Rukh once again plays, “Rahul” (he must be in the Guinness Book of World Records as the actor that has portrayed the most characters named Rahul in his career). He escapes the clutches of his grandfather (quite literally and selfishly), to go on a trip with his friends and live life. On the train, he bumps into the daughter of a mobster, Meena (Deepika Padukone). Thus the hilarity begins and continues throughout the movie. Vishal-Shekhar will make you don your lungi and dance as they provide the better than average music. Watch this film, and if you already have, see it again. This is one express train you don’t want to miss!

First off, the only sole reason this film is in the Thums UP section is due to the “ish”STYLE ™ of Ranbir Kapoor as the lead character Babli in director Abhinav Kashyap’s “Besharam”. The director’s previous film, “Dabangg” raised expectations for this one, and those expectations are only partly met. It suffers from moments of “say what” confusion, to moments of hilarious “right on” clarity. The uneven screenplay by the director and Rajeev Barnwal simply does not hold up throughout the length of the movie. Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor are so much fun to watch, but alas, this is not the best vehicle to be in with their son. The lead actress Pallavi Sharda doesn’t really impress. Oh she’s a fair actor, but shares absolutely zero “sizzle” chemistry with Ranbir. The music by Lalit Pandit (who is capable of better than his compositions here), is imminently forgettable. Again, when all is said and done, you’ll probably share some laughs and admire Ranbir Kapoor’s versatility (the actor should escape this so-so film unscathed), but one can’t help but feel that this movie could have been so much more. Do watch it, don’t expect much, and don’t make me say, “I told you so”. It’s a masala paan fillum full of nonsensical filling, fun and totally harmless to a point. Now, I think I’ll go back to watch “Dabangg” to see what director Abhinav Kashyap is really capable of!

Romance is so complicated today. Forget the flirting and come hither glances, it’s more like full on “dishum dishum” now (if you know what I mean). It seems like the modern life has left simple romance on the curbside waiting for cupid’s rickshaw to take it away. Enter the complicated romance based rom-com, “Shuddh Desi Romance”, in which director Maneesh Sharma (“Band Baaja Baraat”), brings forth a tale that sheds light on the growing trend of live in relationships. The film is entertaining yaar in a way that will make your parents blush. Sushant Singh Rajput leaves the ghost of “Pavitra Rishta’s” Manav Deshmukh way behind and proves that he is the actor for the new generation. Parineeti Chopra is quite frankly the best of the new actors, her performance is effortless, and Vanni Kapoor also is an actor to watch out for. The music by Sachin-Jigar is pleasant and unobtrusive. Kudos to Yash Raj Films for presenting writer Jaideep Sahni’s (“Bunty Aur Babli”) riveting take on the pursuit of love amidst the physicality of differences. Well worth your time to watch, the film will keep you guessing till the end. Today, it’s not about the simple romance, it’s all about the complex emotions of love and heartbreak that comes from frank honesty, “Shuddh Desi Romance” will certainly entertain you and get you thinking.

They say that love makes the world go around, and we have this ideal in our hearts that mystifies this feeling of absolute bliss. Then the real world comes crashing through, taking us through life, this way and that. Love gets detoured, but eventually finds its way. Such is the way of things in Ayan Mukerji’s “Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewane”. First of all, before you even begin to try to appreciate (or not) this movie, you need to forget for the moment how good “Wake Up Sid” was. If you compare this new film to that one, you might be ever so slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, to compare is to be human. “Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewane” is a fun, frivolous and fresh film that delights the viewer with its tarnished innocence. The best part of the film is of course Ranbir Kapoor who literally lights a fuse that never dies down with his portrayal of the lead character, Bunny. The other best part is of course, Deepika Padukone who simply is one of the best female actors in Bollywood today. Her performance is totally captivating and emotional .Of course, the basic premise of the film centers around the travails of love and loss from college to marriage. Pritam’s music is another highlight, especially “Ghagra” which has the always beautiful and timeless Madhuri Dixit dancing and reminding the audience how special she is. One caveat, though the soundtrack is really strong with tracks like “Badtameez Dil”, and “Kabira”, it is not as melodious or uniquely catchy as the songs from “Wake Up Sid”. I know, I know! I shouldn’t compare, but I can’t help it! “Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewane” will burn itself into your mind for the time being, is definitely a really fun movie to watch, and beats all the other new releases (so far) hands down. Director Ayan Mukerji is definitely the future of Bollywood, and I for one will be waiting to see what he does next. Until then, I’ll be living it up with my “Badtameez Dil”!

Though Hrithik deserves all the accolades he gets for his performance in Krrish 3, he is let down by the derivative script penned by papa (and director) Rakesh Roshan and his team of writers that include Robin Bhatt, Honey Irani, Irfan Kamal, and Akarsh Khurana. He is also let down by the fairly banal music by uncle Rajesh Roshan (though the background score by Salim and Suleiman Merchant is quite good). I thoroughly enjoyed the first entry “Koi Mil Gaya” for its innocence and straight forward storytelling, even going so far as to forgive the obvious riff on the classic “E.T. the extraterrestrial” plot. I even enjoyed (though to a lesser extent) “Krrish” or “Krrish 2” for finally establishing a credible Indian superhero for us to call our own. Yet, I cannot forgive the lazy writing of the third installment that seems like they put the stories for all the recent Hollywood superhero movies, put them in the trademarked Bollywood “ish-style” screenplay blender and then pureed creativity down to nothing. Whew, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s see what was good about the film. Hrithik Roshan in his dual role is of course excellent, the special effects are at a high technical level (all completed in India by Indian artists), the cinematography by S. Tirru (which is world class) and that’s about it. I thought Vivek Oberoi was annoying, Kangana Ranaut was good eye candy, and Priyanka Chopra had nothing really to do. I do hope that when they make a “Krrish 4”, papa Roshan can really come up with a better story and his team with a better screenplay. Finally, perhaps it’s time to go outside of the family for the music for the next one, it truly seems like the usually talented Rajesh Roshan has pretty much run out of the proverbial creative steam.

I was honestly expecting a lot from this film as I had enjoyed director Bejoy Nambiar’s “Shaitan”, but this flawed movie with what could have been a very interesting premise, simply disappoints the viewer with tedium. Ouch! I know, perhaps I am being a bit harsh. Perhaps I got off on the wrong side of the bed today…perhaps not. Look, I love films with a great concept and even enjoy them when the film itself presents the concept in an uneven way, but “David” just doesn’t hold the viewer’s interest for its running time. The one shining star in this film is Neil Nitin Mukesh, who returns to the silver screen after a bit of time. His performance is perhaps the sole reason to see the film. The story focuses on three men named…David (of course). One story is set in 1975, the second in 1999, the third in 2010. Neil Nitin Mukesh is the primary character in the 1975 portion of the film, playing a mob boss protégé to perfection. Other than that, the rest of the film is okay. I wish I could get more excited about this movie, I really do, but unfortunately I just can’t. What’s more upsetting is that the film also has Tabu, but she is wasted in her role. The music is disappointing and all in all it’s best to catch the Neil Nitin Mukesh part of the film either streaming on the net or on DVD. Two thums down!

Gasp! You are probably wondering how I could place “Race 2” in the thums down section?!?! Well, let’s put it this way, I loved the first “Race” and this sequel simply doesn’t hold a candle to the original. Sure, it’s slick and stylish, the cinematography by Ravi Yadav is top notch, and the direction by white safari suit duo Abbas-Mustan Is in their usual efficient manner; however, the film sputters to the finish line on the back of a weak screenplay by Shiraz Ahmed (though the dialogues by Kiran Kotrial are quite good). On top of all that, while the original film had a smash hit soundtrack, the music for “Race 2” is pretty forgettable! It’s like that booze soaked killer party from last night that you can barely remember, but know it had moments of fun. Pritam really let us down with this one, which is especially disappointing considering his excellent compositions in “Barfi”. I want to race, I want to race, I want to RACE too! Sadly, my race gaadi just won’t start with “Race 2”. The story continues right off the first film (which in real time was released five years ago). There are twists and turns for sure and both Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham have a lot of chemistry that is fun to watch. Bipasha Basu is barely in the film, Deepika Padukone gives a great performance as always, Jacqueline Fernandez doesn’t really leave an impression, and Ameesha Patel doesn’t really gel. Finally, if you are going to make a film that is a sequel to the original that had a killer climax like “Race” had, you better come up with an even bigger climax (oh…oh) this time around! Stroll, don’t race to see “Race 2”. One and half Thums down!

Joker

Arre yaar! No amount of Johnny Walker Red or Black Label can make this “Joker” of a film paisa vasool in any way. The dictionary defines the word joker as: “a person who jokes in an obnoxious manner”. That’s the best way to describe this film. What was director Shirish Kunder thinking or smoking for that manner? Bhai, let’s make a film about aliens….and a village….and pelvic thrusting! Smash hit bhai! Smash hit! After watching this film, I truly felt like I took a trip to hell or Paglapur and back. The story is completely nonsensical. Take “Koi Mil Gaya” and mash it up with equal parts “Lagaan” with a splash of “Swades”, but with quarter of the entertainment and you get this completely “THUMS DOWN” film. It’s no wonder that Akshay Kumar did nothing to promote the film, he had to have known how bad it turned out to be, though why he picked this film to star in is anyone’s guess. Certainly it’s not due to the “excellent” screenplay. Perhaps as a mark of desperation, Shirish Kunder engineered the “accidental” controversy of the song, “I want Fakhta you” (which was eventually changed to the more pc “I want just you”). It’s about the only thing that got people interested in the movie. Sonakshi Sinha is wasted, as is Shreya Talpade. The storyline focuses on a village lost in time, Pagalpur. Founded by the inmates of an insane asylum, the village doesn’t appear on any maps. Somehow we have aliens mixed into this…and really, shall I go on? Please, please, if you have any sense of reason, avoid this film at all costs. Not even multiple glasses of alcohol can save this film. Watch it at your own risk! After seeing this, I truly felt, “fakhta-ed”.

Bittoo Boss

Director: Supavitra Babul

Producer: Kumar Mangat Pathak; Abhishek Pathak

Music: Raghav Sachar

Lyrics: Kumaar, Luv Ranjan; Aseem Ahmed Abbasi

Starring: Pulkit Samrat; Amita Pathak

Genre: Comedy

Recommended Audience: General

What to say about this film? I am rarely at a loss for words (as my lengthy TUTD diatribes can attest), yet this film leaves me totally flabbergasted (now there’s a word you don’t hear every day)! “Bittoo Boss” is like an itchy rash that won’t go away for a couple of hours. The film could have been a smart, funny small romantic comedy, but instead is just grating to sit through. The direction by Supavitra Babul is so-so, and nothing out of the ordinary. The screenplay by the director and Gautam Mehra rings hollow. The music by the once promising, Raghav Sachar is so mundane that it drags the film even further down the drain. The story itself focuses on Bittoo (played by small screen star Pulkit Samrat of “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi”), the videographer that everyone wants at their wedding. The girl of his dreams Is Mrinalani (Amitha Palak who is wasted here). Bittoo will do anything to prove he is the man of his girl’s dreams. Honestly, I thought the film would have been much better, I usually enjoy films like these, and who doesn’t love weddings? Yet, from the first reel to the last, I kept hoping for something that would make this worth watching. Though the lead pair try their best, with a particularly strong performance by Pulkit Samrat, the film unfortunately sinks the both of them. “Bittoo Boss” is definitely not a career notch on anyone’s belt. Thums way down for this one.